My Children are Seven in Number

Not sure why but for some reason over lunch I got interested in old labor songs. This one was particularly bleak. Apparently, it is intended to be sung over “My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean.” As our administration erodes labor and environmental protections for the inexplicable sake of bringing back coal mining, it pays to have a look back at how bad it really was.

Song: My Children are Seven in Number
Lyrics: Eleanor Kellogg⁽¹⁾

Music: to the tune of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”
Year: c.1933
Genre:
Country: USA

My children are seven in number,
We have to sleep four in a bed;
I’m striking with my fellow workers.
To get them more clothes and more bread.

CHORUS:
Shoes, shoes, we’re striking for pairs of shoes,
Shoes, shoes, we’re striking for pairs of shoes.

Pellagra⁽³⁾ is cramping my stomach,
My wife is sick with TB⁽⁴⁾;
My babies are starving for sweet milk,
Oh, there as so much sickness for me.

Milk, milk, we’re striking for gallons of milk,
Milk, milk, we’re striking for gallons of milk.

I’m needing a shave and a haircut,
But barbers I cannot afford;
My wife cannot wash without soapsuds,
And she had to borrow a board.
This song was originally posted on protestsonglyrics.net
Soap, soap, we’re striking for bars of soap,
Soap, soap, we’re striking for bars of soap.

My house is a shack on the hillside,
Its doors are unpainted and bare;
I haven’t a screen to my windows,
And carbide cans do for a chair.

Homes, homes, we’re striking for better homes,
Homes, homes, we’re striking for better homes.

They shot Barney Graham⁽⁵⁾ our leader,
His spirit abides with us still;
The spirit of strength for justice,
No bullets have power to kill.
This song was originally posted on protestsonglyrics.net
Barney, Barney, we’re thinking of you today,
Barney, Barney, we’re thinking of you today.

Oh, miners, go on with the union,
Oh, miners, go on with the fight;
For we’re in the struggle for justice,
And we’re in the struggle for right.

Justice, justice, we’re striking for justice for all,
Justice, justice, we’re striking for justice for all.